1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of video data distribution by communication, and more particularly, to video content access control using communication log information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally known is a technique of distributing a live video image obtained by a remote-controllable camera using a communication infrastructure such as the Internet, and enabling an observer of the video image to designate settings, operation and the like of the camera via the Internet (U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,105 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 09-289607)). In some of such video distribution systems, a user can control camera operations including panning, tilting, zooming and backlight correction, in addition to the video data distribution, via a network. Further, in some of the video distribution systems, having a camera access control function, camera control and video distribution can be limited in correspondence with a user's access right.
Further, in some of the video distribution systems, an image sensing area can be limited by controlling the camera. For example, a privileged user can utilize all the zooming functions of the camera, however, other users can utilize only a part of the zooming functions (e.g., tele (optical zooming maximum value) cannot be used). Such limitation is also imposed on panning and tilting functions. Note that a network camera integrated with an image sensing device such as a camera is technically different from a camera server to distribute a video image obtained with a separate camera, however, in the specification of the present application, they are used in approximately the same meaning.
In recent years, a large number of video contents are easily generated in accordance with popularization of digital cameras and digital video recorders and introduction of plural home video equipments. Further, video contents are shared via a home network. At this time, access control/disclosure setting with respect to personal video contents managed by respective family members are troublesome but cannot be omitted. Especially, when video contents are shared via a home network, a non-PC device having a poor operation interface is often used. As a result, the above problem is more serious when it is difficult to operate the access control/disclosure setting with respect to personal video contents.